SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ACTION PLAN

Buy local

Consistency starts with our purchases

Today, our local purchasing approach is already strongly committed: our first level of local purchasing (suppliers based in Quebec) is 100%. And we already have a real dynamic on the most demanding levels: products made/assembled/packaged in Quebec (76%) and raw materials from Quebec (69.5%).

A pillar that touches everything

It is one of the most solid pillars of the Domaine, because it affects everything: what you eat, what is used in the kitchen, what equips the accommodations, what is used to build and renovate, the partners who intervene on site.

Where are we today

What's reassuring isn't just a percentage: it's the choices behind it. For example, we use local wood (level 3) for renovations and infrastructure construction. On the food side, we are already working with local farms (vegetables, fruits, fruits, oils, grains, seeds, flours...), and we are adjusting the menu and production according to the local and seasonal.

What we are strengthening

What we are strengthening now is the “proof + consistency” part: writing a clear local purchasing policy (levels 1/2/3), further verifying certain products (especially textiles, promotional items, outdoor equipment where the origin must be documented), and setting up a more formal monitoring of these levels of purchase.

And in terms of customer experience, we also want to make what that means more visible in practice (on the menu, on site, and online).

Composting

An already solid base

Composting already works well at the Domaine (75%). The team has its habits, the spaces exist, and the subject is not treated “halfway”.

The key point: make it easy for visitors

But we also know where it can be played out: for visitors, composting must be simple, obvious, and undoubtedly possible. The plan therefore plans to reinforce the points that often make a difference in places of accommodation: homes, bathrooms (brown paper), external management areas, and clearer guidelines on “where to put what”.

What we are putting in place

What we are putting in place (or strengthening) here is very concrete:

• clearer signage on what is compostable in our region (otherwise, people hesitate and give up),
• information on the site map to know where to bring the compost,
• gentle reminders in confirmation emails (without feeling guilty, just guiding).

And above all: we want to measure better. Because a serious approach is also an approach that monitors its residual waste volumes and sets reduction goals.

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Recycling

Well present on the site, and more and more clear for you

Recycling is already well established at the Domaine (71%). Sorting points exist for customers and staff, including in key locations (homes, dining room, pavilion/chalet, land).

Specific sectors taken into account

What is also reassuring is that we are not stopping at “classic recyclable”. Materials that require specific sectors are taken into account: dangerous products, large waste, electronics/batteries, light bulbs... with recognized deposits, and information sent to staff.

What we are strengthening

What we are now strengthening: pedagogy on the visitor side (and on the team side) to avoid sorting errors and especially to reduce the quantity of waste upstream. The plan mentions, for example, the fact of avoiding certain problem materials (styrofoam, difficult plastics, waxed cardboard...) and of encouraging the use of recycled paper/cardboard (printing, paper towels, toilet paper, printed media such as Enviro100).

Biodegradable products

The real impact of daily maintenance

In a welcoming area, maintenance is daily. So what we choose as products has a real, repetitive, lasting impact.

Where we are

We already use certified biodegradable household products (EcoLogo/equivalents) for a large part of current uses, and we largely avoid overly aggressive solutions.

What we are improving

What is being improved is very clear: to further reduce the use of chlorine and toxic products, to ensure the consistency of choices (including for food/drinks and certain products offered), and to reinforce the use of non-toxic and VOC-free water-based paints/stains/inks for renovations and prints.

It's a pillar where quality is in the details — and that's exactly where we work.

Reuse

A comfortable experience, without a “single use” reflex

Here, we are talking about comfort, common sense, and small gestures that, put together, count enormously. The Domaine already uses reusable dishes and containers, repairs a lot of equipment locally, and avoids “disposable” purchases as much as possible (with a real concern for sustainability and repairability).

What we want to make easier for you

But we want to go further on a specific point: to make reuse simple and natural for you.

What is being strengthened:

• more clearly identifiable places to refill water bottles (and an objective of reducing the purchase of bottles: today around 40 bottles per month),
• a simpler message in reservation emails to encourage the supply of reusable items (water bottle, etc.) — today, only a portion of visitors do so,
• a more structured logic of reuse (reuse certain supply containers for storage, internal packaging, etc.).

The subject “water”: measuring and being transparent

There is also a very concrete “water” subject: the Domaine has a revaluation system (hydrokinetics) and wants to better account for and value the liters saved, in order to be transparent about the results.

And on the accommodation side, we already invite responsible use: sheets not changed automatically, towels to be reused if possible, replacement on request.

Community action

A Domain that acts, not just a Domain that welcomes

This pillar is already solid. The plan talks about regular donations to the community (with a logic based on a minimum of 1% of income), workshops/training around sustainable development, and accessible services for people with reduced mobility.

What it means for a future customer

That the Domain is not content to “occupy a territory”. It participates in its life, in its balance, in its transmission. The Domaine has also worked on a plan for interpreting local communities (history, culture, heritage, traditions, respect). And the team is trained to be able to talk about it.

What we are strengthening

Make this information more visible on site (signs, cards), and more accessible online (hyperlinks), so that it is not reserved for “insiders”.

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Green energy

A long project, but already started on solid foundations

It is a more technical chapter, so it does not progress only through “good actions”: it progresses through equipment, monitoring, investment choices and overall coherence. Today, a lot of actions are already in place: the majority of LEDs, certified household appliances, systems to improve energy efficiency and control the temperature, electronic invoicing...

The plan also highlights a desire to reduce the digital carbon footprint (sobriety of data), and a positive point on the mobility side: a significant part of the clientele comes by carpooling.

What we structure

What we are in the process of structuring is more ambitious:

• increase rechargeable/electrical equipment where possible (including some means of transport),
• work on renewable energy web hosting and better monitoring of the digital footprint,
• calculate/reduce/offset GHGs on several items (electricity, travel, deliveries, fuels). The plan mentions an annual consumption of around 10,000 liters of gasoline and 12,000 liters of propane: these are figures that cannot be ignored, so the objective is to reduce them methodically.

And for visitors, the idea is not to “teach a lesson”: it's to offer simple ways to optimize transport (carpooling, shuttle, etc.) to reduce the impact of the stay.

Ecological housing

Accommodations designed to last

This pillar is already very solid: infrastructures designed to reduce energy consumption (insulation, ventilation, caulking...), VOC-free and non-toxic materials, natural light, and a significant portion of local materials (up to the 3rd level).

What we are strengthening

What we are strengthening here is above all formalization: a written purchasing policy to ensure that all stakeholders (purchases, subcontractors) prioritize materials that are sustainable, biobased, local, and consistent with energy optimization.

We are also working to better highlight these efforts on the site, because they are concrete commitments, not invisible.

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Fauna & flora

Informing, training, and avoiding impacts

The Domaine is not content with being “in the middle of nature”. He works to keep her alive. The plan highlights staff training, information provided to customers, the No Trace principles, and a real logic for interpreting the territory: explain the fauna, flora, ecosystems, behaviors to adopt, actions to avoid.

Follow better to better preserve

This is currently being strengthened, and which is very structuring: data collection and monitoring (especially for activities such as hunting/fishing, with a self-registration form, data collection and centralization).

The objective is simple: better understand, better manage, better preserve. The plan also mentions a very responsible point: if a technical project can affect an ecosystem (e.g. hydrokinetic), it must be supervised by experts and documented to avoid any negative effects on aquatic environments.

Organic & GMO-free

Where we progress step by step

This chapter is where we still have the longest way to go, and we prefer to assume it rather than oversell. The plan already indicates the use of certified GMO-free ingredients, but also shows that the “organic” portion is still low and needs to be structured.

What we are putting in place

Increase the proportion of organic ingredients (and organic fabrics), better verify the procedures of producers when there is no certification, and formalize a purchasing policy that sets a clear direction.

It is a work in progress — and it is precisely because it is identified that it will move forward.

Packing

Move towards zero waste, where it is most relevant

The Domaine is already very advanced on this subject: on the food side, single use is already largely avoided, and the store is already without single-use products.

The priority point to be improved

The most sensitive point (and therefore priority) concerns beverages, where the purchase/sale in bulk or in returnable containers is even lower.

This is typically the kind of detail that matters a lot: because it's frequent, and therefore cumulative.

What we are strengthening

Further push reusable/documented alternatives, formalize a “zero waste” policy and communicate goals and deadlines more clearly.

Socio-economic aspect

A sustainable approach is also part of the team

A place can have the best ideas in the world: if the team is not integrated, if the governance is not clear, if the policies remain implicit, the process is running out of steam.

The plan highlights reassuring points: regular satisfaction surveys (staff and customers), good retention rates, reconciliation practices, “unofficial” but present pay equity, social inclusion in hiring, and the existence of a person/committee responsible for eco-responsibility.

What we structure

Formalize these policies (reconciliation, inclusion, responsible purchasing, sustainable development policy maintained) and better communicate on eco-responsible governance, without jargon, in an accessible way.

What changes for your stay

You don't need to “make an effort” to enjoy the Domain responsibly. The idea is for the place to be designed for this: coherent purchasing choices, simple sorting systems, attention to the territory, and a team that is constantly improving.